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Washington Heights
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War at the highest point on Manhattan island to defend the area from the British forces. During the Battle of Fort Washington, on November 16, 1776, the fort was captured by the British at great cost to the American forces; 130 soldiers were killed or wounded, and an additional 2,700 captured and held as prisoners, many of whom died on prison ships anchored in New York Harbor. The progress of the battle is marked by a series of bronze plaques along Broadway. Baseball Personalities from Washington Heights * Pedro Alvarez (1987-), baseball player who was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.Nelson, Amy K. "Alvarez following in some famous footsteps", ESPN.com, June 3, 2008. Accessed June 10, 2008. "In just a few days, Montas and the entire Washington Heights community anticipate that their native son, Pedro Alvarez, a star third baseman for Vanderbilt University, will be the highest player ever drafted from the upper Manhattan neighborhood of New York City." * Alex Arias (1967-), Dominican-American former Major League Baseball player.Mickle, Tripp. "At George Washington High School, Beisbol is a Hit", New Media Workshop at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Accessed May 21, 2007. "Since the mid-1980s, the school has produced two World Series winners in the Major Leagues: Manny Ramírez of the Boston Red Sox and former Florida Marlins shortstop Alex Arias." * Rod Carew (1945-), former professional baseball player."This Week In Baseball History - Week ending 10/5", Sporting News, October 8, 2007. Accessed June 10, 2008. "In 1958, the Carew family migrated to America and settled in the Washington Heights section of New York City." * Héctor Carrasco (1969-), Dominican baseball player * Julio Lugo (1975-), Dominican Baseball player for Boston Red Sox * Manny Ramírez (1972-), Dominican Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers."Head of Production - Manny Ramírez, baseball player for the Red Sox - Statistical Data Included", Baseball Digest, August, 2001 by Gordon Edes. "For a Dominican kid who grew up in the non-trendy side of Manhattan—that upper end of the island known as Washington Heights—Manny Ramírez tends to have his name dropped in the same sentence as the game's biggest stars, past and present, and isn't out of place in their company." * Alex Rodriguez (1975-), Dominican-American Baseball player for the New York Yankees."Alex Rodriguez: he arrived in New York to cries of both "Hallelujah!" and "Is he worth it?" but after his bumpy, bruised beginnings in the Bronx, baseball's heavy-hitting superstar has hit his stride", Interview (magazine), July 2004. "The kid who was born in Washington Heights, New York City, and grew up in Miami had no doubts about handling the pressure in a town where movie stars are second-class citizens to top-tier ballplayers." * Vin Scully (1927-), Sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Sandomir, Richard. "Daffy Days of Brooklyn Return for Vin Scully", The New York Times, October 5, 2006. Accessed May 21, 2007. "Scully?s lyrical voice has belonged to Los Angeles for so long that only older fans can recall Scully?s time with the Dodgers in Brooklyn from 1950 to 1957 after growing up in the Bronx and in Washington Heights. His last known address in New York was 869 West 180th Street; he took the subway to Ebbets Field during his first Dodgers season." Category:Neighborhoods